What the 2017 FARE Conference Keynotes Tell Us About Industry Direction
The 2017 FARE Conference in Dallas brought together a broad cross-section of foodservice: restaurant operators, convenience retailers, healthcare and education leaders, recreation venues, suppliers and senior executives. Held from June 26–28, the event treated foodservice as a connected industry rather than a collection of separate sectors. Its keynote programme, educational sessions, supplier exhibits and networking opportunities reflected a market being reshaped by changing expectations, tighter operating conditions and faster innovation.
For Australian professionals, the conference remains useful as a snapshot of where the business of food was heading. The keynote themes point towards a foodservice model built around the customer experience, practical technology, workforce culture, nutrition, responsible sourcing and collaboration across the supply chain. Those ideas apply in very different ways in Sydney cafés, Melbourne institutional kitchens, Queensland tourism venues and convenience stores along regional highways.
Customer Experience Became A Strategic Measure
The keynote message about customer experience was broader than friendly service or attractive presentation. It suggested that every part of an operation contributes to perceived value: ordering, speed, menu clarity, cleanliness, staff confidence, payment, packaging and the way a venue responds when something goes wrong. Food quality remains essential, yet the surrounding experience often determines whether a customer returns.
This direction is especially relevant in Australia, where customers move easily between independent cafés, quick-service restaurants, food halls, pubs and supermarket meal solutions. A diner in Melbourne may compare a restaurant with a premium takeaway counter, while a commuter in Sydney may judge a café against a mobile ordering experience. Operators therefore need to manage the complete customer journey rather than focus on the plate alone.
The keynote perspective also placed emotional connection alongside operational efficiency. A memorable local product, a well-trained team member or a menu that recognises dietary needs can build loyalty without requiring extravagant design. The strongest brands use consistency to create trust, then add enough personality to feel distinctive.
Technology Was Expected To Support People
The conference signalled that digital tools were becoming central to foodservice, though technology was presented as a means rather than an end. Point-of-sale data, kitchen display systems, labour scheduling, loyalty platforms, digital menus and online ordering can reduce friction when they are selected around a clear operational purpose. Installing software without changing the underlying process simply adds cost and confusion.
This lesson translates well to the Australian market. QR ordering and delivery platforms have changed expectations in metropolitan areas, while regional operators may prioritise reliable stock control, rostering and payment systems over highly complex customer apps. Australia’s distance between suppliers, venues and communities also makes inventory visibility valuable, particularly for operators managing several locations or seasonal demand.
The keynotes appear to have treated data as a decision-making asset. Sales patterns can reveal underperforming menu items, peak ordering periods and the effect of promotions. Used responsibly, those insights help managers improve purchasing and reduce waste. They should complement staff judgement, because numbers rarely explain the full reason behind a customer’s choice or an employee’s difficulty.
Health And Choice Moved Into The Mainstream
Nutrition was increasingly framed as part of mainstream foodservice rather than a niche concern. Customers wanted choice across calorie levels, allergens, cultural preferences, portion sizes and dietary patterns. The industry direction was not to divide menus into “healthy” and “unhealthy” categories, but to make better choices easier without sacrificing flavour, satisfaction or convenience.
Australian operators work within a strong café culture and a market that readily embraces fresh produce, plant-forward meals, Asian flavours and premium coffee. At the same time, menus must account for allergen communication and accurate claims. The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code governs food labelling and safety requirements, so health-focused messaging needs to be clear, supportable and consistent with the rules.
The conference’s broader lesson was that wellbeing should be integrated into menu development and service design. A university food outlet can offer nourishing meals at accessible prices; a hospital caterer can improve patient experience through texture and flavour; a convenience retailer can provide better grab-and-go choices. Health becomes commercially credible when it is practical for the customer and workable for the kitchen.
Collaboration Across Segments Increased Resilience
FARE’s mixed audience was itself a statement about the future. Restaurant operators face issues that also affect hospitals, schools, convenience stores, stadiums and corporate dining: labour availability, supplier reliability, cost pressure, food safety and evolving consumer expectations. Sharing solutions across these sectors can produce ideas that a single segment might miss.
The value of cross-sector learning is clear in Australia. A remote mining camp may develop efficient meal production systems that interest a large caterer, while a hospital kitchen may offer useful lessons in allergen controls and traceability. A stadium or recreation venue can demonstrate high-volume service, while a small café may show how local identity and personal hospitality create loyalty.
Supplier relationships were another important part of this direction. Exhibitions and networking give operators access to equipment, ingredients, packaging and technology, yet the strongest partnerships involve more than purchasing. Suppliers that understand venue constraints can help with menu engineering, staff training, maintenance and waste reduction. Food businesses should evaluate those relationships through operational outcomes rather than novelty.
| Conference Signal | Operational Meaning | Australian Application |
|---|---|---|
| Customer experience | Manage every interaction from discovery to payment | Design consistent service across cafés, venues and takeaway channels |
| Digital capability | Use data and automation to remove avoidable friction | Improve rostering, ordering and stock visibility across multiple sites |
| Health and choice | Build nutrition and dietary flexibility into mainstream menus | Meet customer needs while following the Food Standards Code |
| Cross-sector learning | Share solutions between operators, suppliers and institutions | Transfer ideas between hospitals, schools, tourism and restaurants |
| Workforce culture | Treat employees as central to service quality and retention | Build skills, career pathways and safer, more sustainable rosters |
Workforce Culture Became A Business Issue
The keynote direction also highlighted the people behind the operation. Foodservice depends on cooks, supervisors, front-of-house staff, drivers, cleaners, technicians, managers and suppliers. When these roles are poorly supported, customers experience the consequences through slower service, inconsistent food and high turnover.
For Australian employers, workforce strategy must include compliance as well as culture. Modern awards, penalty rates, minimum employment standards, work health and safety obligations and training requirements shape the true cost of service. Operators in Sydney or Brisbane may compete for staff with hotels and retailers, while regional businesses often face a smaller labour pool and greater difficulty finding experienced workers.
A useful industry response is to make jobs easier to perform well. Clear recipes, sensible equipment, structured induction, cross-training and realistic rosters can reduce stress. Recognition and progression matter too. Employees are more likely to stay when they can see how a casual role can lead to supervision, culinary development or venue management.
Sustainability Had To Become Operational
The conference period captured a growing shift from broad environmental language towards measurable practice. Food waste, energy use, water consumption, packaging and transport were becoming financial and reputational concerns. Sustainability was most credible when linked to purchasing, production and disposal decisions that managers could track.
Australian businesses face specific pressures in this area. State and territory rules differ, councils are expanding organic-waste and recycling programmes at different speeds, and single-use plastic restrictions have developed unevenly across jurisdictions. An operator in New South Wales may face a different packaging environment from one in Victoria or Queensland. Planning must therefore account for local requirements rather than rely on a generic national policy.
Waste reduction can begin with ordinary management: accurate forecasting, smaller production batches, better storage, root-to-stem use and menu items that share ingredients. Responsible sourcing also needs scrutiny. Seasonal procurement may support quality and value, but suppliers must still meet food safety, traceability and reliability expectations. Sustainability becomes durable when it lowers waste or improves efficiency without making service impractical.
Food Identity Became A Competitive Asset
The keynote themes suggest that foodservice was moving away from a standardised idea of value. Customers still care about price, speed and convenience, yet they increasingly notice provenance, authenticity and the story behind a dish. Local identity can help a venue stand out, particularly when it is expressed through flavour and service rather than marketing language alone.
That does not require every business to create an elaborate origin story. A suburban café might work with a nearby bakery, a school caterer might feature seasonal produce, and a convenience outlet might develop a regional range that travels well. Operators can also look to international food traditions for inspiration; resources such as Mediterranean food ideas show how culinary identity can connect ingredients, culture and customer interest.
For Australian businesses, cultural diversity is a practical market reality. Menus in western Sydney, inner Melbourne and multicultural neighbourhoods across Perth may serve customers with very different food memories and expectations. Respectful interpretation matters: operators should avoid reducing cuisines to decoration or token menu items. Working with knowledgeable suppliers, cooks and community partners produces a more credible result.
The Future Favoured Adaptable Operators
The combined keynote message was a call for adaptability. No single innovation would determine success, and no universal format could serve every customer or segment. The stronger businesses were likely to be those capable of testing ideas, measuring results and adjusting without losing their core purpose.
That principle matters as the industry manages inflation, supply interruptions, changing labour patterns and new forms of competition. Australian operators have already learned to balance dine-in service with takeaway, delivery, catering and retail products. The next stage is to connect those channels so that menus, staffing, purchasing and customer communication reinforce one another.
FARE 2017 also demonstrated the value of gathering the whole foodservice community in one place. Keynotes can set direction, but peer conversations and supplier demonstrations turn broad themes into workable actions. An operator may leave with a new approach to rostering, a better way to present dietary information, or a partnership that solves a persistent production problem.
The enduring industry direction is therefore practical and human. Technology should simplify work, health should improve choice, sustainability should shape everyday decisions, and collaboration should strengthen the supply chain. Businesses that combine those priorities with disciplined execution are better positioned to respond to changing customer behaviour.
Use the lessons of the 2017 FARE Conference to review your menu, service journey, workforce systems, supplier relationships and waste practices. Revisit the conference’s audience insights and apply one measurable change at a time, whether that means improving allergen communication, building a more resilient roster or creating a stronger local food offer. The future of foodservice will be shaped by operators willing to turn shared ideas into better experiences and more responsible businesses.